Rich Traditions in Sports and Academics Creates Greatness. Let's Remember our History.

The history of Alamogordo Sports and the research for the book series on Alamogordo Sports that is being released September 4th, at Roadrunner Emporium, 928 New York Avenue, Alamogordo, New Mexico allowed us to to explore the concept of "traditions, academics, athletics and success" 

Traditions taught us; "that few of us know the greatness within our self, nor what we can do... That few of us have ever been coached to our full potential, nor pushed our self-hard enough to find out. Those fortunate, few of us, who have experienced great coaching, to find the strength within ourselves, to find our personal best; we are the blessed ones.”

We considered what Michael Jordan once said, “Life is often compared to a marathon, but I think it is more like being a sprinter; long stretches of hard work punctuated by brief moments in which we are given the opportunity to perform at our best.”

Many people debate who should receive the credit for Michael Jordan’s success. Is it Coach Phil Jackson or is it Michael Jordan?

We explored the history of interscholastic sports since its founding in the early 1900s and the evolution of that program through the eyes of a small town; Alamogordo, New Mexico. We did that exploration of history  in the midst of the greatest pandemic to impact our nation during our lifetimes: Covid-19. We wrote during the backdrop of a nation that is more divided at any time in our lifetime since the riots of 1968.

The backdrop of fear; resulting from a disease, politics of division, riots, marches, violence in our cities, a struggle for police reform and the visibility of the underrepresented, economically challenged, the perils of persons of color and the struggle felt via Black Lives Matter; could drive us to darkness, and despair, in our thoughts and actions. Listening to the traditional news channels, reading Facebook, listing to conspiracies, and logging on to the many social media platforms; we are bombarded with images, theatrics, messages, meme’s, false tales, conspiracies of ignorance presented as facts, thoughts and ideas, that could lead one to feel as former First Lady Michelle Obama said she feels; that she is suffering from "low-grade depression."  We as a nation are in a "low-grade depression" of faith in each other and a depression of trust in our commonality, and sense of community.

Michelle Obama in speaking about race relations said, “It's exhausting" to be "waking up to yet another story of a Black man or a Black person somehow being dehumanized, or hurt, or killed, or falsely accused of  something," “I'm waking up in the middle of the night because I'm worrying about something or there's a heaviness,"

Obama said during her "The Michelle Obama Podcast." "I try to make sure I get a workout in, although there have been periods throughout this quarantine, where I just have felt too low."

Former President George W Bush wrote in support of the BLM movement: “Laura and I are anguished and disturbed by the injustice and fear that suffocate our country. We know that lasting justice will only  come by peaceful means. Looting is not liberation, and destruction is not progress”, W continued. “This tragedy — in a long series of similar tragedies — raises a long-overdue question: How do we end systemic racism in our society? The only way to see our self in true light is to listen to the voices of so many who are hurting and grieving. Those who set out to silence those voices, do not understand the meaning of America. There is a better way — the way of empathy, and shared commitment, and bold action, and a peace rooted in justice. I am confident that together, Americans will choose the better way”, Bush concluded, offering a progressive and peaceful solution.

It's a familiar feeling for many Americans of stress and uncertainty. A U.S. Census Bureau survey found that 1 in 3 Americans are feeling the same, with symptoms of depression or anxiety. That is more than three times the rate seen in a survey done in 2019, CNN reported.

Sports, the stories around sports and the stories found within our series of books, window displays, and online tales provide us an outlet of hope and an opportunity to reflect on the past positives and learn and grow from those traditions of partnership and excellence.

We see signs of hope or light that is positive, insightful and helpful; to the issues before us, led by professional, collegiate, and interscholastic athletes and via competition and teamwork of academics in Speech, Debate and Theater, Music and the creative culture of the arts.

In Alamogordo, the story of athletics and extracurricular activities leading the way began with Coach Rolla Buck who entered the scene as a no-nonsense coach that looked at athletic ability and “was not interested in the racial tensions or other distractions” of the time.

He led the way to integration, and the development of winning teams that brought the community together.

With the closing of the Dudley Hispanic School and the integration of Hispanic students; Leo J Aubel, graduated as the first Mexican Valedictorian and lettered Mexican Athlete at Alamogordo High School
and broke barriers and prejudices of the times.

(The City Commission should create a historical marker to denote this fact and the success of Leo K Aubel who went on to become a lawyer of national prominence and founder of the Hispanic Bar Association. This should be noted  near the old Dudley School location or as a marker downtown, so this history of this athlete and academic is not lost to the generations of Alamogordo's future citizens!!!!)

Athletics made change happen!

In book one of our historical book we told the story of how in 1949, Bobby Joe Fritz, a black athlete within the Alamogordo system wanted to play football and run track and field, but the Delaware School for Negro Children (as it was referred to at the time), also known as Corinth, did not offer sports at the time. 

African American children of the time were denied athletic opportunities; as Alamogordo High was not integrated to African American children. Fritz and other black athletes were allowed to play, Alamogordo High was integrated, and Alamogordo won a variety of state titles the following two years led by the integration effort and the prowess of these young African American athlete’s commitment to excellence. A major step forward and the first of a southern school system to do so. It was several years later before others followed. 

(Maybe the City Commission should create a historical marker telling Bobby Joe Fritz's story to denote this fact near the old Corinth School location or as a marker downtown!!!!)

While reviewing Coach Sepulveda’s photos and archives, we found a few items and moments in the life of he and Marilyn, that had an impact on their belief systems specific to inclusivity and equality; that they carried forward into their coaching philosophies. These policies of color-blinded inclusiveness brought them and their team’s great successes as did the same belief systems of Coach Hveem and the most successful coaches in the systems history.

The BLM issues of today are relevant, as they brought back some memories of the history that transpired within this small community, that are relevant today and should be included the storyline and not forgotten by those that were not members if this community in the past or by those that need to learn the lessons of the past to truly understand how to get us forward.

Western Texas University basketball team winning the title over the University of Kentucky (Photo Courtesy Coach Bob Sepulveda The Hveem Years)

In 1966 Coaches Bob and Marilyn Sepulveda witnessed history being made with the Western Texas University basketball team winning the title over the University of Kentucky. Bob had a connection to the university athletic

department via the assistant coach Jerry Hale. Hale played against Bob Sepulveda in college basketball in Oklahoma.

“The, crux of the March 19, 1966 game was this: Five black starters defeated a racist, Kentucky’s Adolph Rupp, the coach of an all-white team”, according to Sports Illustrated.

Donald Lee Haskins was the victorious head coach at Texas Western College (renamed the University of Texas at El Paso in 1967) from 1961 to 1999. His greatest  triumph was the victory over the University of Kentucky, coached by Adolph Rupp. The watershed game initiated  the end of racial segregation in college basketball.

In his time at Texas Western/UTEP, he compiled a 719–353 record, suffering only five losing seasons. He won 14 Western Athletic Conference championships and four WAC tournament titles, had fourteen NCAA tournament berths and made seven trips to the NIT. Haskins led UTEP to 17 20-plus-win seasons and served as an assistant Olympic team coach in 1972.

He was enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1997 as a basketball coach. His 1966 team was inducted in its entirety by the same Hall of Fame on September 7, 2007.

Witnessing this season and this game would have profound impact in the years to come of the attitudes toward inclusiveness and teamwork of the Alamogordo athletics programs to include boys and girls track and field in the years to follow. Most Alamogordo coaches admit that the many titles won would not have been accomplished without the teamwork and diversity of their teams.

Additionally, the Sepulveda’s relationship with the Haskins organization benefited the Alamogordo in scholarship opportunities for their athletes via UTEP.

Coach Gary Hveem, (Alamogordo’s longest tenured winning football coach) mentioned in an interview with the authors that; “Alamogordo was about a variety of cultures all coming together to make a great athletic family.” He went on to say, “we did not treat everyone the same, but we did have rules and treated everyone fair, as we had cowboys, Hispanics, athletes from the Native American tribes, kids brought in by the Air Force, White, Black, Mixed, rich, poor, and middle class. A good coach was sensitive to the variable cultures, races, ethnic and economic diversity of his team. He treated each athlete, as an individual, but taught them the commonality of each and their responsibility to each other, the team, the sport, and the community. That is the role of a good coach, or a good educator and we strived to do that daily.”

The traditions of Alamogordo High School in the 60's through the 80's were traditions of progressiveness, of being a champion of innovations of an emphasis on academics and athletics success with a community UNITED around the school, teachers, the school board and the kids. During the period when the community was united around the schools they ranked in the top 10 in the nation. The community of the 60s through the 80s was a community that supported the schools, the kids, academics and athletics contributing to the success of the times.

The division and rallies we see today at school board meetings, are not of the proud history of Alamogordo. That division, is a manifestation of the school systems rankings drop to the bottom 1/3, in the nation. 

But through learning the history of the past, and the athletics, and academic greatness of the past; we can learn to mend that division, to reach onto the rich traditions of the past. In reaching back, we can rebuild the community, to its status of a leader in innovation and diversity, like it once was. The division of today, too, will pass. 

A time will come again, when the community will remember its roots, the greatness of traditions of excellence, and the charter a united path forward putting divisions aside for the common good, of the whole diverse community.  

We have faith, every day as we open our doors on New York Avenue, in knowing that a fresh breeze of unity, is just around the corner, to deliver Alamogordo back to greatness. It's in each of our hands now, let's learn from traditions, and we do this! We will do this!

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